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Squidpastry

@squidpastry.bsky.social

Florida-dwelling sometimes-artist, kinda-photographer. Nefarious, notorious sunfish devotee. My heart belongs to the sea. Ichthyologist soon-to-be, hopefully. Activity not guaranteed. We'll see what the tide brings in, aye?

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Squidpastry@squidpastry.bsky.social · 2y ago

#fishmas day 17 + 18! Dwarf seahorses are truly tiny, with adults only reaching a meagre 2 inches. Meanwhile, lined seahorses are monsters in comparison. Occasionally reaching a mighty 7in, they will consume anything small enough to fit into their mouths- this includes small fish. #25DaysofFishmas

Close-up photograph of a dwarf seahorse laid out between two of my fingers, submerged underwater. It has a slender body with a tail that takes up half of the body's length, tapering to a point. It's head is shaped much like any other seahorse, except with a knob-like bump on the head and a very short snout. It's eye is large- save for the pupil, it is mottled in the same shades of brown and green as the rest of the body. The lattice-like bony rings that give the seahorse it's rigid form are visible beneath the skin. The seahorse's color is a mottled brown with green accents, as well as small pale spots.A photograph of an adult male lined seahorse laid out on my hand, submerged in water. Unlike the dwarf seahorse, it is far larger, with it's head resting nicely on my thumb and the body spanning the length of my palm, tail curled around the base of my pinkie. This seahorse lacks the knob-like bump atop the head and has a much longer snout typical of most other seahorses. The belly is large and round, and the seahorse is a brown and orange-copper color with many dark brown streaks and lines. The tail, however, is a much darker brown. The back, tail, and head possess tiny stippled white spots. The bony rings are visible just underneath the skin, and form rows of hard spikes down either side of the seahorse as well as two rows along it's back and tail.
Squidpastry@squidpastry.bsky.social · 2y ago

#crustmas day 18 (and 17) - double feature! Pink shrimp can attain respectable sizes, with large individuals measuring up to about 10 inches long. Speaking from experience, they grow fast! The flat bodies of green porcelain crabs allow them to hide in very narrow spaces. They're quite secretive.

Photograph of a pink shrimp in my hand, submerged underwater. It's a straight-bodied, rather robust shrimp with a pinkish red hue and a slightly translucent body. It has little in the way of distinct markings, except for a pale rim on the back edges of each uropod. The antennae are very long, longer than the body's length, and extend out of frame. The shrimp's eyes gleam yellow and red tones as they react to the camera's flash.Another pink shrimp in my hand, this time lifted from the water. The shrimp's shell is a slight orangeish pink and translucent. Extremely faint stippled stripes are present on it's smooth, reflective shell. Close-up photograph of a green porcelain crab on the surface of a orangeish-brown sponge. The crab, actually a species of squat lobster, has a flattened, round body, which are dwarfed by it's extremely large, broad claws spread outwards from the body. The claws are flattened but not blunt, terminating in sharp tips. The outer margins of the claws have a somewhat thick layer of short fuzz, as does the outer rim of the crab's carapace. It's walking legs are rather stout, and flattened as the rest of the body is. The crab's carapace is covered in fine ridges and bumps, and it's color is a mottled green. The legs have a sparse coating of fine hairs.Head-on view of a green porcelain crab in a photo tank. It's legs raise it from the ground, and the crab has it's claws raised, assuming what can be interpreted as a defensive stance- though this is likely coincidence. The crab peers out from one of it's flat claws with one eye. The underside of the claws and body are varying shades of red and dirty orange.
Squidpastry@squidpastry.bsky.social · 2y ago

Ancinus depressus, the flat pillbug, for day 16 of #crustmas! This is a wonderfully rectangular, flat isopod that likes the sandy, shelly substrates of nearshore marine habitats, particularly beaches. When threatened, it rolls into a ball. It's flat, broad shape means it can only try it's best.

Close-up photograph of Ancinus depressus, a white, rectangular-shaped, flattened isopod in the palm of my hand. It's eyes are tiny, and on either side of it's head at the front of it's body. It's telson is triangular and large, taking up a considerable portion of the animal's length (about a quarter). It's shell is pale, white and subtly mottled greyish tones.Close-up photograph of Ancinus depressus, a white, rectangular-shaped, flattened isopod in the palm of my hand. It is now attempting to roll into a ball, but due to it's shape, it can only manage a wide, oblong form. It's telson, being so large, juts out prominently from underneath it's head.
Squidpastry@squidpastry.bsky.social · 2y ago

A hairy hermit crab, Paguristes karenae, for day 15 of #crustmas! True to it's name, this species is covered in a thick coat of luxurious brown fur. Additionally, this species was described recently, only two years ago. I think they're really, really cute...

Close-up photograph of a hairy hermit crab in a horse conch shell. The shell is an orange-red color, and the hermit crab erupts from the shell's aperture, completely covered in a thick, shaggy coat of light brown fur. The shell underneath the fuzz is an orange color, and the tips of the walking legs are black. The claws are broad and flat, and also covered in fur. The claws tips are black. The crab's eyestalks are long, colored white with a black ring-like marking in the middle of each. The crab's complicated mouthparts are black and white striped.
Squidpastry@squidpastry.bsky.social · 2y ago

It's the 14th day of #crustmas! Today, a seasonally appropriate peppermint shrimp (Lysmata boggessi). This species lives in seagrass beds, oyster reefs, and in sponges unlike many species in the genus. Their vivid color and way of moving, swaying back and forth, make them popular in aquariums.

Close-up photograph of a peppermint shrimp, Lysmata boggessi, riding on my finger. The shrimp's body is a vivid shade of red and it's body is translucent. The red color pigment is arranged in thin stripes, with unpigmented spaces allowing one to see light passing through the body of the shrimp. It's eyes are black, with a dark stripe on the top surface of each eyestalk. The tail fins (uropods) are a deep crimson color. The shrimp is quite small, only about an inch long. Yellowish-green branching algae is visible in the background.Close-up photograph of a huge female peppermint shrimp (Lysmata boggessi) in my hand. For her species she is massive, approximately two inches long. Her entire body is a bright red, with the unpigmented stripes characteristic for the species hardly visible. She is robust, with a thick abdomen and cephalothorax. Her uropods are a darker red color than the first. She is the largest and most vibrantly colored peppermint shrimp I have ever seen.
Drew@drewavery.bsky.social · 2y ago

Green Gar {Esox osseus} Ökonomische Naturgeschichte der Fische Deutschlands  (Economic natural history of fish in Germany) 1783 Biodiversity Heritage Library

Longnose Gar {Esox osseus} Ökonomische Naturgeschichte der Fische Deutschlands  (Economic natural history of fish in Germany) 1783 Biodiversity Heritage Library
Squidpastry@squidpastry.bsky.social · 2y ago

It's day 13 of #crustmas! This is the blue spot hermit, a small hermit crab that doesn't surpass a few centimeters. Named for their prominent blue spots on the inner surface of their arms, their eyes and antennae also take on a bluish hue. The feathery antennae catch small pieces of floating food.

A photograph of a blue-spot hermit peering out of a cerith shell in which it resides. The vivid blue spot on the inner surface of the 'forearm' is visible, and rimmed strongly with black pigment. The hermit's shell is of a cerith, an elongate cone-shaped snail. My finger is partially visible in the background, holding up and dwarfing the entire animal. The crab's body and legs are a beige cream color, with each leg bearing reddish stripes. The hermit crab has a somewhat sparse, furry coat.Close-up photograph of a blue spot hermit amongst green, fuzzy algae-covered shells. It's eyestalks peer from it's shell, with light blue eyes and blue-tinged antennae. Two of the antennae possess long filaments, the entire structure resembling a bird's feather somewhat. Fine hair covers the crab's body. The titular blue spot is visible.Close-up photograph of a blue-spot hermit, head on. Both blue spots on the arms are easily visible and very vivid. Two of the antennae have missing tips.